Appeals Court Halts Execution

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(September 9, 2008)--The Texas Court of Criminal Appeals late Tuesday afternoon stopped Wednesday execution of a death row inmate convicted of the murders of a former stripper and her boyfriend nearly two decades ago.

Charles Dean Hood was convicted of killing the man and woman in the Dallas suburb of Plano in 1989.

The court’s decision came as Gov. Rick Perry was weighing a request to halt the execution.

The convicted killer's attorneys asked Perry for a 30-day reprieve so they can pursue their claim that Hood's trial judge and prosecutor had an unethical romantic affair.

Meanwhile Tuesday in McKinney, Hood's lawyers questioned the retired North Texas judge who presided over his murder trial 18 years ago.

The court-ordered deposition of retired state District Judge Verla Sue Holland came a day after former District Attorney Tom O'Connell underwent similar questioning by Hood's attorneys.

Holland is a former Texas Court of Criminal Appeals judge.

Hood’s attorneys said late Tuesday both the judge and prosecutor in the capital murder trial "admitted under oath that they had an intimate sexual relationship for many years."

The statement came in a letter the legal team sent to Perry, whom they've asked for a 30-day reprieve.

Hood's attorneys say Holland confirmed the relationship in a deposition Tuesday and that O'Connell gave similar confirmation on Monday.

Hood was sentenced to die for the 1989 slaying of former stripper Tracie Lynn Wallace and her boyfriend, Ronald Williamson, at Williamson's home in Plano.

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Posted by: Texas Location: Texas on Sep 11, 2008 at 05:25 PM
....and it took them 20 years to discover this?? How convenient.

Posted by: Just sayin is all Location: Ft Hood on Sep 11, 2008 at 08:06 AM
I swear, after listening to you people I can only think of one thing to say...I am soooo proud to live in Texas. I like the way you guys think. Been saying it for years, of course I say give the guy 1 year to appeal. Gives him a year of counting the days.

Posted by: Anonymous on Sep 10, 2008 at 12:01 PM
Maybe the next stop they'll same its too cloudy to execute him.... thats a good one or the wind is blowing too hard.... Come on finish him already

Posted by: susiebw Location: kempner on Sep 10, 2008 at 10:59 AM
That is the biggest waste of taxpayers money for the month of September. Shame on the appeal court. that affair had nothing to do with Hood killing those young people.

Posted by: Mother of Three Location: Temple on Sep 10, 2008 at 10:37 AM
I agree, he needs to fry because it doesn't sound like there is any doubt he's guilty. But at the same time, no lawyer should ever try a case in front of a judge he's sleeping with. Now every case he tried in her courtroom will be investigated. It gives scumbags another reason to stay alive and they don't deserve it when they took other's lives. If they had put him to death 10 years ago then we wouldn't have this problem, and less of your and my tax money would've been spent to keep him alive.

Posted by: Joe Location: Waco on Sep 10, 2008 at 09:31 AM
Just proves my point that we have idiots serving on courts.

Posted by: William Location: Salado on Sep 9, 2008 at 09:29 PM
Stop playing with this moron, he is playing the system to keep breathing. He is using valuable assets to his whim and should be terminated before the people have to pay more for his pleasure.

Posted by: W Location: Tx on Sep 9, 2008 at 07:23 PM
i don't understand these idiots, it shouldn't matter if the judge in this case had an affair with Mary Poppins, it still does not, let me repeat this, DOES NOT, by any means change the fact that this sorry bas@#*! took two lives, sheesh talking about some judicial idiots, i bet this courtroom affair will look like the episode of the three stooges when they were in court, LOL

Posted by: Lisa Location: Temple on Sep 9, 2008 at 06:43 PM
Just put the needle in annd get it over with.. 20 years is too long on death row.. My opinion is you get the death sentence you get one appeal with DNA evidence redone if it still matches, Don't let the door hit ya in the behind as you walk through the death door. Killers should not get years to live on Death row. Sentence and appeal, and taken too the room. One month max.

Posted by: Me Location: Central Texas on Sep 9, 2008 at 05:39 PM
Euthanize his worthless @$$, already.

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